Case Of The Heartless Husband Part VII

It was going to be a challenging day. A quick search through the Chief's coffee cupboard revealed a tin of Folger's, three packets of instant coffee from 1997 and a previously used tea bag. Tea bag - TEA? How did that get in MY cupboard? I proceeded to brew a fresh pot of Folgers and sat down in front of my forensic analysis workstation. The LCD started to look more and more like a brickwall. But as any good case investigator will tell you, sometimes you have to be creative and inventive... but stay inside "the box". I poured a cup of the almost-coffee into my favorite mug (from my good friends at a certain agency - thanks guys!!!!), flipped through my notes and reached for my trusty cellphone. Time to call Donna and introduce her to a friend of mine. A very interesting friend. Donna and I agreed to meet at a coffee shop (surprise) that was on the other side of town. We were just starting to chat and enjoy a wonderful Peruvian blend when a familiar Jeep pulled into the parking lot. "Yo Chief - what's new?" asked Jonathan. Jon was an expert in physical surveillance, and had logged over ten years with a certain government agency. I met Jon at a security conference several years ago. I had helped Jon on a few cases in the past, and now I was calling in a favor. "Jon, this is our client Donna. I've briefed you on my investigation, and now I'd like you to present your ideas to Donna." I said in between sips. Without saying a word, Jon grabbed a duffel bag that he brought with him and sat it on the chair next to Donna. He placed on the table several devices that included a wireless pinhole camera, an audio transmitter, a custom-built audio/video receiver/monitor, and perhaps the smallest VCR I had ever seen. "Donna, what I'm proposing is a step beyond what the Chief here has done. Computer forensics has run it's course, and now the Chief and I agree that we need to do some old-fashioned P.I. work." Jon said with a grin. "Oh my. This sounds expensive." Donna joked. Jon stared at Donna. Jon blinked at me. Jon stared at Donna. "I'd like permission from you to install these devices in the bookcase located behind your husband's desk. These devices are of a superior quality and have been modified by me for just this type of work. The battery life is just over two days - I will then need permission to re-enter your home and remove the devices. You may not touch, move or modify these devices in anyway or it could compromise my portion of this investigation. Clear?" Jon asked. "Uh, sure Jon. If the Chief trusts you, you can't be too bad." Donna said with a grin. The installation went without a hitch. Two days had passed and Jon called me on my cell to tell me he was ready to grab the gear from the home. I was called away to a meeting with another client, so I asked Jon to call me again after he had grabbed the gear and performed a cursory analysis of the video/audio. Later that evening as I was unwinding from my day, my cell rang. "Chief." I answered. "Yo - I got the surveillance back. " Jon said proudly. "And?" I asked. "Looks like Donna's husband is trying really hard to get a promotion - he's putting in a lot of extra work." Jon replied. "Eh?" I asked. "He's working on some big project?" "Yeah." Jon replied. "And it involves a lot of one-on-one time with his boss." "Typical. So what's her name?" I queried. "Thomas." Jon shot back. Oh my.